Here is my makeshift attempt at trying to point out the good that can come from Pierce’s injury.

• It gives Pierce a chance to rest those legs. Since the knee irrigation, he’s been playing heavy minutes and playing pretty well. He’s had a few games that he had stretches of almost dead on lights-out shooting. But perhaps this will give him a break during the toughest stretch of the regular season (between Christmas and the trade deadline). We know what kind of competitor Pierce is, so we know he wants to play. We also know how tough he is, so I think he’ll be able to come back sooner than most think. But regardless of his competitiveness and toughness, the dude’s got something wrong with his foot or ankle and he’ll have to miss at least a couple of weeks. The way I see it, right now, is every minute that he doesn’t play in the regular season is another minute he can play in the post-season.

I repeat: the offense needs to run through Rondo.

• We need to let the offense run through Rondo. With Pierce out, we’ll get to see this more. I’m sorry. The LAL game killed me. Rondo’s minutes were mismanaged in the second half. I didn’t like Doc’s substitution patterns and when he had Rondo on the bench. If Rondo isn’t taking care of the ball, making sloppy mistakes, setting up the offense too slowly or hurrying them through, if his timing is off, if he isn’t finishing at the rim… Yes, by all means, let the ball work through someone else’s hands like Pierce. But for goodness sake, Rondo was playing a damn near perfect game on Sunday. You don’t sit him and you don’t let the offense run through someone else when your all-star point guard is having one of the best games of the season. You just don’t. We looked like a frightened team in the last 5 minutes in the 4th quarter when the Fakers were making their run, and we just didn’t have answers. The ball then found its way into Pierce and Ray’s hands too much. We all of the sudden deferred to what we used to do and chanced that it would work. The ball should have been Rondo’s and for him to decide what to do with it on every single possession in that second half. If #9 is on and playing that kind of game where his floater is falling and his passes are right on, then you’ve got to keep the ball in his hands. Can someone explain to me why Rondo wasn’t in the final play o the game?

• Tony Allen will get more playing time. And with more playing time, is there any assurance out there of seeing more TA Jigs? I mean. Come on. The jig. Whoa the jig. A steal and an acrobatic lay up? Followed with a jig. Just too much, TA. Just too much. I am becoming pretty enamored by the way he is playing, and want to see more of him on the floor. TA is revealing what the Celts desperately need: a guy on the wing that doesn’t threaten to shoot but can thrash to the hoop with scalpel-like sharpness and finish at the rim. TA has been doing this for, GULP, weeks… I want to see more of it. Tony will get the chance to be Tony in the starting line-up if Pierce is out, which can only make him more valuable to this team. Right?

• Quisy might also get more playing time. With his imminent return, Quisy will need plenty of minutes to get back into playing shape and get the timing back. Between he and TA, I expect to see both guys getting the chance to contribute a bit more.

• Bill Walker? Oh Billy. You have so many people rooting for you, but stop playing so nervous whenever you get in. Get that smile off your face, go into terminator mode, and just react. Who knows… maybe we will get to see Billy in action more, but I somehow, I still doubt it.
Maybe this will be the spark Ray Allen needs to um, do something. Break the slump. Get some kind of killer instinct in him, and start helping this team win some freakin’ ball games.

This is just hilarious.

• KG will get more touches on offense. The more shots we can give him right now, the better. I have to be optimistic and I have to believe that he will get back to where he was in the beginning of the year. We are all mistaken if we think we will see KG of yesteryear from 2008 or early on 2009. We won’t, and that is fine. What we need is at least the KG from the November edition of KG. If we have that, we still have a shot at this thing. But, let’s get his timing and rhythm and condition back by giving him the ball and letting him show us all that he’s still got fuel in the tank.

• Last but not least, maybe the team will get back that closeness, that itch to dominate, and dare I say it, the swagger. I don’t think this is really going to happen, but what if this team pulls together for the stretch without Paul? Sort of a “Hey Cap’n, this Bud’s for you” type of deal? Not very likely, but we’ve seen glimpses of how good this team can be when they start trusting each other and then all of the sudden it looks likes they really just love playing basketball together. Together. A good word for this crew right now.

Who knows.
I mean, you don’t have to know the severity of the injury to at least know that we are going to lose more games than we would have if we had Pierce, but those losses are okay if something good can come from it. Like the second unit getting more chances to gel. More playing time for a guy like TA and Quisy to get a feel for what it’s like to play with both starters and reserves. For the offense to give more shots to Rondo and KG.

We are still good enough to get to the playoffs. Nothing is going to change that. Nothing. So, let’s take this as an oportunity to get everything else worked out and we can welcome The Truth back to something that resembles a team ready to contend for the 2010 title.

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Great write up. I agree with you, this injury might be a good thing. Doc has been playing the starters way too much. The bench has been highly ineffective, some games. I think its due to lack of playing time. I haven’t seen Shelden playing in forever. They need more than 2 minutes especially against Eastern Conference teams the Celts may see in the playoffs. Players have to learn the matchups and how to guard their opponents and I don’t see that happening when they only play the final 6 seconds of a period. TA has turned out to be a blessing….just stop dribbling so much!
The offense needs to run through Rondo and like Tommy always says….RUNNNN!! They play so much better when Rondo controls the offense.

Loscy • A Celtics Blog

Loscy is a columnist's approach to gritty blogging about the Boston Celtics, with plenty of mixed digital media executed with the perfect Xs & Os supplanting all heart and hustle with minimal muscle. Contact at green.eighteen@gmail.com

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JIM LOSCUTOFF

"Loscy" was a hard-nosed standout for the Celtics, playing all nine NBA seasons with the Green and White...Helped lead the Celtics to seven NBA world championship titles, including six straight from 1958 through 1963-64...Had, perhaps, his best season in 1956-57 in helping lead the Celtics to their first title, by averaging 10.6 points and 10.4 rebounds per game...He asked that his jersey number (#18) not be retired so that a future Celtic could wear it - the number 18 was later retired in honor of Dave Cowens. (from celtics.com history)